National News

Allexer Namundjembo Walvis Bay residents have rejected a proposed 12% "shack levy" suggested by the municipality recently. The idea was met with criticism from community leaders, who argue the levy targets the poor and fails to address the root causes of the town’s housing crisis. Former Walvis Bay urban regional councillor, Knowledge Iipinge, described the proposal as an act of class warfare. In a letter addressed to the municipality and seen by Windhoek Observer, Iipinge criticised the council’s plan to tax informal housing structures. “Instead of dismantling the systemic violence of housing apartheid, you seek to criminalise poverty and legitimatise…

Niël Terblanché Dr Esperance Luvindao, the minister of health and social services, made an unannounced visit to the Katutura Health Centre on Thursday morning. In a video clip posted on the social media platforms of the health ministry, the minister said that the visit was aimed at gaining a clear view of conditions on the ground. Luvindao added that the purpose of the visit was to engage directly with patients and healthcare staff. “The goal was to come without prior notice. We want to hear what people are saying on the ground. There is no need to provide prior notice…

Niël Terblanché While Erica Shafudah, the finance minister, delivered her maiden national budget speech in the National Assembly, visitors to some of the country’s premier tourist destinations continued to face fuel shortages that have remained unresolved at several sites run by Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR). Nelson Ashipala, the spokesperson for NWR, in a statement on Thursday, confirmed that the situation at Halali Camp in Etosha National Park remains unchanged. “As for now, all booked-in clients will be accommodated at Okaukuejo and Namutoni until the situation is resolved,” he said. He added that no additional costs would be incurred by affected…

Niël Terblanché The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) convened a two-day Private Markets Investment Industry Workshop in Windhoek from 24 to 25 March 2025, aimed at strengthening the country’s unlisted investment landscape by addressing key gaps in capacity and execution. The event brought together participants from legal and audit firms, the Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA), fund managers, board members from the GIPF and other pension funds, directors of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), institutional investors, and representatives from the local investor community. Sara Mezui-Engo, the manager of alternative investments at the GIPF, said in a statement on Thursday that…

Allexer Namundjembo Artificial intelligence (AI) and social media platforms like WhatsApp played a major role in fuelling misinformation and disinformation during the 2024 presidential and National Assembly elections. This is according to findings from the Namibia Fact Check project, led by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). The project, which ran from November 2024 to March 2025, tracked the spread of false political information across social media platforms. It found that many political parties and public figures either had low social media presence or used their platforms to attack opponents rather than share policies or commitments. “The political parties,…

Niël Terblanché Former Brave Warriors midfielder and current civil servant, Sylvester “Lolo” Goraseb, staged a solitary protest in chains at the entrance of the Office of the Prime Minister on Wednesday morning. The unusual demonstration, which attracted the attention of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), was a protest against what Goraseb described as a lack of structural independence and integrity in Namibia’s public service. Goraseb, who is currently employed within the Department of Public Service Management, raised concerns over the current placement of the Public Service Commission under the Office of the Prime Minister. He argued that this arrangement compromises…